C smiles over the desk at F, “You’ve done your homework?”

F nods, “I have. I understand all the changes I want to make.”

“And you remembered not to make your changes too different from your current self?”

F nods again, “I have. I’ve thought long and hard about this.”

C smiles again, “So has everyone we’ve invited to use it. You’ve seen the video footage, and we’ve done our background checks. There’s just one more thing.”

F nods desperately, “What is it?”

“You need to sign this contract stating that you will never reveal how you got your changes. We will provide you with documents proving you went to a surgeon in Taiwan.”

F nods, and holds out their hand for a pen. They don’t even read the contract before they sign. C sighs and shakes their head, even if they did, they’d still sign. Standing up, C leads F to a room covered in mirrors, except for one floor tile that has the edge of a glowing red rock protruding from it.

C looks at F, “Strip, and put your foot on the rock there. It’s easier to see what you’re doing that way. You’ll have one hour to make your changes. In 90 days time, we’ll give you the opportunity to make further changes. Do you understand?”

F nods, and starts stripping before C has even turned away. C can’t help but see the Caucasian skin as they hurry back to the desk. So many of them are like this. So eager to get out of their own bodies that they forget why they have anonymity procedures in place. Not that it actually protects them from C if they wanted to know. But at least C has set it up so they have to check first.

Turning back to their desk, C opens their laptop and starts looking through the transgender, intersex, and body dysmorphia groups looking for those desperate enough to take a gamble.

It’s nearly an hour later when F comes out of the room on their own, and C closes their laptop before banging their head against the desk.

“F, the requirement to looks similar to your previous self were put in there for your protection, not ours.”

C pretends not to notice as F slides some of her red hair under the head mask, “I know, and I did. But I…”

C nods, “I understand, I really do. At least you’ve kept things in the realm of human variation. Unlike the notable man, who went from five foot nothing to six foot four, and over 18 inches.”

F nods, “I remember that on TV, he was sent to a mental hospital.”

C nods again, “Yes, we were unable to provide his follow-up appointment. If you wish, for an extra £15,000 we can arrange for your hospital visit to be extended until your follow-up, and provide you with a temporary identity in another country.”

F looks down, “What if I wanted to stay like this, or didn’t want to go back.”

C’s heart sinks, but they say compassionately, “If that’s the case, we can offer you a trans-dimensional move to a new life. There you will be contracted to work for our organisation for 10 earth years, and you will be trained in the use of magic and any other skills you need. If you prove yourself, you may even be assigned to help other people like you.”

F nods, “I’ll take it. I never want to go back to there.”

C nods, and indicates the door behind F, “If you go through there, T will guide you through the forms and contracts you need to sign.”

As F leaves the room, C sighs and takes off her own head mask. Standing up, she makes her way over to an unassuming tile on the wall and traces a glyph. Smoothly, a section of floor falls away into a staircase that she walks down before reaching behind the stairs and flicking a switch on the underside of the floor she was just on. Making her way along a short corridor, past the laser tripwires she just turned off.

Reaching the room below the changing room, she removes a glove and carefully pricks her finger to allow 2 drops of blood to fall on the large glyph on the floor. Then she walks over to the large pillar and disengages the mechanism that’s not just holding it up, but also triggers the explosives built into the floor of the room above. As the pillar lowers into the floor, she looks at the glowing red rock that took her 1,000 years to create. Picking it up, she briefly shifts so that her chest opens up, before placing the rock back into it’s proper place as her heart.

As she makes her way back up the stairs, her form flows as her skin takes on a reddish tone, and her hair turns black. Wings grow from her back, along with a thin tail. After closing the floor she creates a glowing red portal, before turning back to the room, “Only two years, 47 days, and 15 hours to go. At least time passes faster here.”